I've Been Waiting to Give This Gift Tonight
by NeverWonder
Summary: Finn proposes to Rachel around Christmas time in front of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.


**Author's Note:** This is for my girl, Amy, as a Christmas gift, and no gift to Amy would be complete without a healthy dose of smut. The title and song Finn sings is "This Gift" by 98°, because I can't resist the idea of Finn singing boy band songs from my youth. Sorry it's late, but I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

><p><em>i.<em>

He'd planned it all to the last detail, including a dinner at Sardi's because it was where they'd had their first New York date; the snow had been falling for an hour by the time they left the restaurant, and Rachel shivered next to him as they walked arm in arm toward the waiting cab. Glancing over at her, he couldn't help but smile; sometimes it was hard to believe that they'd been living in the city five years. It seemed only yesterday that they were moving into an apartment with Kurt and Santana, still wondering how that had even happened. Now they were all grown up; she was preparing to start her first Off Broadway show, and he was officially a rookie in the NYPD. He pulled Rachel closer, ignoring her questions as she gently poked his side and begged him to tell her where they were going and what he had planned. It was almost impossible to keep secrets and surprise Rachel Berry, and she had been terribly persistent for the past three weeks in her attempts to discover his plans.

"Maybe we should go back to the apartment, baby. That snow is getting heavier, and we wouldn't want to get trapped in traffic." She curled into his side as the cab moved toward its destination.

"We'll be fine, Rach, just relax." He gently stroked her hair, trying to hide the smile that crossed his lips.

"Why won't you tell me where we're going, Finn? What's the big secret?" He chuckled, dropping a small kiss on her pouted lips.

"It's a surprise, and you just have to be patient. It'll be worth the wait; I promise." Reaching into his pocket, his hand clenched around the small black velvet box he'd hidden there.

Rachel nodded, still pouting, and he offered her a small smile; he could feel her shivering next to him, but luckily the driver had turned the heat up in the cab. She closed her eyes with a soft sigh, and he was slightly relieved because it meant that she was not paying attention to where they were going. In their five years as New York City residents, they'd never gone to see the big tree at Rockefeller Center all lit up, but when Finn mentioned his idea to Kurt, his brother gushed about how beautiful the tree was and how romantic the plan was. Finn hoped that Rachel would think it was as perfect as Kurt did. When they finally reached their destination, he gently shook her shoulder, and she opened her eyes with a soft smile; he knew that she'd had a long day at rehearsal, and he'd almost decided to skip going out so that she could relax. But he couldn't stand to wait another day.

"Finn, it's beautiful." Her arm quickly linked with his, and she let him pull her into his side so that she wouldn't get lost in the crowd. "Why haven't we come to see the tree before?"

"I don't know, baby." He murmured, his eyes flickering between the petite young woman on his arm and the glittering tree in front of them; Rachel seemed to glow as they walked closer, and he pulled in a breath. "Rachel—"

He was cut off when someone bumped into them, knocking them off balance, and Rachel gripped his coat to keep from falling. Finn wrapped his arms around her waist, and she giggled softly, her eyes dancing in the soft glittering lights of the tree. She stood on her toes, and he pulled her closer, his hands holding her hips as she kissed him tenderly. He took her slender hands in his, gently stroking her fingers through the soft blue gloves that covered them, and her eyes met his with a warm smile; whispering that he loved her, he squeezed her hands, digging for the courage to carry out his plan. He couldn't remember a time when he had been so nervous. She turned in his arms, but he kept them wrapped around her tiny waist, holding her flush against his body as he murmured softly in her ear that he loved her and began to sing.

"_The snow is falling, the city is white / Your eyes are shining like diamonds tonight / And we're all alone / There's no one home / You're finally in my arms again."_ He swayed gently, feeling her press back against him. _"The night is silent / and Christmas is here / I couldn't ask for more than having you near / Cause I love you girl, / I always will / And now I know the moment is right."_

"Finn?" Her voice was a barely audible whisper, and he could hear it tremble.

"_Cause I've been waiting to give this gift tonight / I'm down on my knees, there's no better time / It's something to last for as long as you live /Tonight I'm going to give you all my heart can give."_ He couldn't see the tears welling in her eyes or the smile that crept across her lips.

Slowly he began to sink down on one knee, ignoring the way the snow seeped into his slacks, and she turned slowly, her deep brown eyes wide as she looked at him; sure they'd talked about marriage and children, but it was always in passing, as if it were a distant future event that might never happen. She was completely taken aback, and a small crooked smile crossed Finn's face; he hadn't expected to be able to surprise her. He reached for her hands, pulling in a breath as he tried to remember precisely what he had planned to say; she offered him a soft smile, and it renewed his courage.

"This city has always been your dream, and when we got here I had no clue what I was going to do in this place. I just knew that wherever you were was where I needed to be. And so I followed you to New York. When I met you, I didn't know what to think; you were the most intimidating person I ever met, especially for someone so tiny, and I was kind of scared. But then I heard you sing, and everything changed. Every day I fell more and more in love with you, and I started to realize that I needed you in my life. That was kind of scary too because I'd never really needed anyone like that before." He let out a soft chuckle. "There were times when I was afraid we wouldn't make it, when everything seemed to be fighting against us, but we always made it through. We're tethered, Rach, meant to be, and somehow I've always known that. I can't imagine my life without you; you are the most amazing woman I've ever known, and every day I love you more and more. You are my dream, Rachel, and I want to spend my life with you. W-will you be my wife?"

"Finn, I—" Her words were cut off by a sharp breath, tears in her eyes, and for a terrifying moment he thought she was going to say no. "Y-yes—oh Finn, of course I will. I love you so much!"

She flung her arms around him, and he teetered back, falling into the snow with her on top of him; they laughed together, and she kissed his cheeks and lips again and again until he gently cupped her face to stop her. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the small black box, opening it quickly to reveal a simple but elegant diamond ring; it had been his mother's engagement ring, given to her by his father, and when he was younger his mother had taken it to a jewelry store to have the diamonds taken out and sold because they were struggling. When they'd gone home for Thanksgiving, he'd asked his mom if she still had it, and he'd taken it to have the diamonds replaced so that he could give it to Rachel. Taking her hand, he carefully removed her glove and slid the ring on her finger, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

_ii._

The moment they shut the door to the apartment, Rachel had shucked her gloves, tucked them into her coat pocket, and practically shoved Finn back against the wall, kissing him fiercely; her slender fingers tangled in his hair, and she felt his hands grip her waist, pulling her flush against him. His tongue parted her lips, gliding into her mouth, and her hands slid to the zipper of his jacket, quickly pulling it down so that she could push it off his shoulders. His fingers fumbled with the buttons of her peacoat, the distraction of his now fiancé's roaming hands and eager kisses making it more difficult to handle even the simple task of pulling off her coat. Once it was unbuttoned he pushed it off her shoulders, forcing her hands to leave his body for a moment, and she took the opportunity to slide out of the five inch heels she'd been wearing; a small chuckle left his lips as she shrank to her usual height.

This wasn't the first time they'd been too wrapped up in their need for one another that they couldn't make it to the bedroom, but he couldn't remember a time, other than when they were both rather drunk after a New Year's Eve party, that clothing began to fall off in the entryway to their loft. Rachel's nimble fingers made quick work of the buttons on his dress shirt, and he rapidly found the zipper of her dress; silken red fabric fell to pool around her feet, and she tugged his undershirt up over his head the moment his dress shirt was removed. Without warning, he scooped her up, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist and letting his hands cup her ass so that she wouldn't fall. Her fingers instantly tangled in his hair, and he had to force himself to stop kissing her so that he could see his way to their bedroom. Undeterred, Rachel pressed heated kisses along the line of his neck, and he shuddered beneath her lips, fighting to concentrate on not falling in the floor and crushing his tiny fiancé.

She giggled, nipping at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, and he had to grip the door frame as he entered the bedroom to steady himself; he playfully squeezed her ass, causing her to pause before nipping again. With a chuckle, he lightly tossed her back on the bed, settling over her body with a grin; his lips quickly found hers, kissing her hungrily, and she pulled him down against her with a soft moan. Their earlier urgency began to take over once more, and she let her nails graze his skin, feeling the muscles of his back tighten beneath her fingers; he settled between her parted thighs, and she tugged on his bottom lip with her teeth as he firmly rolled his hips into hers, letting her feel his need for her. With a soft whimper she rocked her hips upward, the feel of his erection pressing against the damp fabric of her panties making her ache for more. He pulled back for a moment, his gaze running along her body, and his hands slowly stroked over her soft, warm skin, making her shiver with delight. Her eyes fell closed as he let his palms cover her breasts over the silk and lace of her bra, and he trailed hot wet kisses along the soft curves. His tongue traced her rapidly stiffening nipple through the lace, and he allowed himself a victorious smirk when a small gasp left her lips.

"I love you." He murmured the words almost like a promise as his teeth teased the tiny clasp that held her bra. "I can't believe you are going to be Mrs. Rachel Berry-Hudson."

"Rachel Hudson," she corrected him without thinking, and his eyes widened. "I'll be Rachel Hudson."

"But I thought—" She shook her head, and he tugged the clasp until it popped loose, letting the bra fall open and expose her breasts. "Say it again."

"Rachel Hudson!" She gasped out his last name, the last name she was going to take, as he enveloped her nipple, working the tender nub with his tongue. "I'm going to be Rachel _Hudson_."

"I love the sound of that." He smiled against her skin, and Rachel's hands tangled in his hair, tugging until his lips left her breast so that she could kiss him.

She poured everything she could into the kiss, her tongue slipping passed his lips as her hands slid down his chest toward his waist; her fingers worked his belt loose and quickly unbuttoned and unzipped his dress slacks, and he released a groan when he felt her hand slip down to cup him through his boxer briefs. Her hand slowly increased the soft pressure, stroking him through the fabric, and she smiled victoriously against his lips when he began to rock into her hand with low moans. Her eyes widened, and she pulled in a sharp breath as Finn's fingers slipped passed the silk of her panties and began to fill her with slow deep thrusts; his name fell from her lips in a keening moan, her hips jerking when his thumb found her clit. He shifted above her, and her hand slid away from him, unable to reach; her hips rocked against his hand, and she shuddered as the waves of sensation flooded her.

"Finn, I need—baby, I—" her words where broken by her moans, and she met his gaze with eyes full of love and desire.

Reluctantly he pulled away, lifting his hips to remove his pants and boxer briefs and tossing them unceremoniously to the side before settling over her again; his hands stroked down her trembling frame, and he flashed a teasing grin when he paused at her hips, his fingers tracing the edge of the only article of clothing preventing their union. She whined softly, and her hands moved to finish the task, only to be stopped by his; she pressed a kiss to his lips, biting on his lower lip and tugging insistently, but he simply hovered above her, gently rocking his hips into hers and bringing forth soft mewling moans of his name each time she felt his erection press against her through the soaked fabric of her panties.

"Say it, baby. I wanna hear you say it." Her heart pounded, and she reached for his hips, pulling him down against her; how much longer could he take feeling her heat before he buried himself completely. "Come on, Rach. Say it."

"Someday soon, I'm going to be Rachel _Hudson._" She moaned, and her lips brushed his cheek. "_Hudson_, my last name will just be _Hudson_."

She'd always said that the name Rachel Berry would someday be in lights, and he'd assumed that she would be like other big stars and keep her last name or hyphenate it. He pressed a fierce kiss to her smiling lips, and she responded ardently, her fingers gripping his shoulders; her hips lifted instantly when he began to tug her panties down, and he quickly tossed them aside. Her hands slid down his arms, fingers lacing with his, and he entered her with a smooth solid thrust of his hips; Rachel practically mewled his name, her hands squeezing his as she kissed him again and again. He pressed her hands back against the pillows, holding them there as he moved in slow firm thrusts, each motion filling her deeply, and her body moved with his, matching his movements. The world seemed to melt away, everything blurring into skin against skin and the moaning of each other's names; Rachel felt the familiar spiraling tension in her body, and she tried desperately to prolong it.

Her hips matched his thrusts, one leg bending at the knee and allowing him better access; she gasped out as he shifted above her, changing the angle of his thrusts ever so slightly to achieve new pleasure for both of them, and he moaned her name against her skin as he pressed warm kisses along her neck. He reached for more control, trying to hold back his climax for as long as possible, but he released her hands and they began to move along his back toward his hips, he knew he couldn't hold out much longer. She was so warm and eager, and her body quaked beneath him with each solid thrust; her hands slid past his waist, cupping his ass, and she pulled him flush against her with wanton cry, allowing him to fill her completely. He could feel her small body tensing beneath him, her walls fluttering and tightening, and he pressed a heated kiss to her lips; she arched up from the bed, her lips parting in a keening moan, and as she shuddered with her release he spilled within her. They fell back together on the bed, both panting, and he shifted his weight so that he wouldn't crush her; they'd never reached their peaks simultaneously before, and her eyes were wide as she gazed up at him.

"I love you, Rachel Berry. I love you forever." He tucked a section of her hair behind her ear, pressing a soft kiss to her temple before slowly shift to his side to lie beside her.

"I love you too." She smiled softly, snuggling into his side and resting her head on his chest. "I will always love you."

"I can't wait till you really are Rachel Hudson." She giggled, her fingers lightly stroking his hair. "I can't wait till I can call you my wife."

"You think I'll make a good wife, Finn?" He lifted an eyebrow at the question, but he knew she was probably really worried even if he didn't know why.

"You'll be the best, Rach; you've always been the best." She smiled brightly, shifting her body so that she was settled completely on top of him.

Her lips found his again, and he let her kiss take him back to the place where no one else existed, the place where it was just Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry, soon to be Rachel Hudson; that place, he decided, was about as close to paradise as you could find.


End file.
